Transdermal penetration enhancers

A composition comprising an effective amount of iododeoxyuridine and an effective penetration enhancing amount of a compound represented by the formula:

• ##STR10## or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• wherein B represents oxygen, sulfur or two hydrogen radicals;
• A represents oxygen, sulfur or --CH.sub.2 --;
• R, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently represent (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl --SR'", --OR'", --NHR'", or --COOR.sub.1 where R.sub.1 represents hydrogen or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl;
• R'" represents hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkylthio(C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16) alkoxy(C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, amino(C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, optionally substituted with a phenyl, or benzoyl group;
• R' represents hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkoxy, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkylthio, hydroxy or --(CH.sub.2).sub.y COOR.sub.1, and further wherein y is between 0 and 3, inclusive;
• R" represents hydrogen or --(CH.sub.2).sub.y COOR.sub.1 ;
• m is between 0 and 5, while n is between 1 and 24, inclusive;
• and
• with the proviso that when R' and R" are both hydrogen, then R cannot be (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl.

A method for enhancing penetration of topically administered active agents through the skin or mucosal membranes of humans or animals comprises the topical administration to the skin or mucosal membrane of humans and animals of effective amounts of a physiologically active agent selected from the group of iododeoxyuridine and an effective penetration enhancing amount of a compound having the structural formula:

• ##STR11## or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;
• wherein B represents oxygen, sulfur or two hydrogen radicals;
• A represents oxygen, sulfur or --CH.sub.2 --;
• R, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently represent (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, --SR'", --OR'", --NHR'", or --COOR.sub.1, where R.sub.1 is hydrogen or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl;
• m is between 0 and 5 while n is between 1 and 24, inclusive;
• R' represents hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkoxy, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkylthio, hydroxy or --(CH.sub.2).sub.y COOR.sub.1 ;
• R" represents hydrogen or --(CH.sub.2).sub.y COOR.sub.1 ;
• R'" represents hydrogen, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkylthio(C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16) alkoxy(C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, amino (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl, optionally substituted with a phenyl, or benzoyl group and y is between 0 and 3, inclusive;
• and
• with the proviso that when R' and R" are both hydrogen, then R cannot be (C.sub.1 -C.sub.16)alkyl.